A native, who had been talking to the captain, embracing a favourable opportunity, seized the musket, upon which was a fixed bayonet, and jumping overboard with it, swam towards the shore, keeping half the time under water. Muskets were fired at him, but he bore his booty safely through the surf to the coral bank, where, although he was still within striking distance, he marched away with the most perfect composure, until he disappeared in the bushes. After this bold theft, several boats were prepared to land in search of water, and, if possible, recover the stolen property. The captain took the lead, and landed on the coral bank, with his arms and ammunition wet and useless, whilst the boat, in returning through the surf, was thrown upon the rocks, bilged, and before she finally got off, almost every timber in her broke. This fatality having attended his landing, he forbade the other boats to attempt it, choosing rather to remain in his defenceless situation, surrounded by hostile natives, to the more serious consequence of losing the remainder of his boats. By signals concerted previous to his departure from the vessel, he directed a fire at intervals from our cannon, in the direction of a large hut that we supposed belonged to the chief. A small group of natives approached him, one of whom, a man advanced in years, came up with a green branch in his hand; the captain demanded of him by signs the return of the musket, in reply to which, he addressed some one near him, who ran off, and in about an hour, brought it without either lock or bayonet; these were also required, and our demand repeated occasionally by a discharge of cannon in the direction of the chiefs hut. It was not long before the lock was brought, but no threats could compel them to relinquish the bayonet. The situation of the captain and his party was becoming more and more critical with every moment's delay. They were on a bank of coral a hundred yards wide, and small parties of natives, of whom great numbers were assembled in the bushes, would frequently sally out and throw stones at them. They had no other means of protection or defence than what was afforded by our guns, which were fired whenever the hostile parties made their appearance. The hustle of our shot over their heads, and the fall of cocoa-nut trees, proved to them the superiority of our arms over theirs, and in a measure, had the desired effect of keeping them back. One circumstance, however, convinced us that they were not yet fully sensible of this superiority, or if so, that they were intrepid to a degree that might well alarm us for the safety of our people.